Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



H. BRUGMANN improvement in Breach-Loading Fire-Arms.

'lgl Patented July 16,1872.v

d w. ,www5 fw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEINRICH BRGMANN, OF WATERLOO, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND WILLIAM NOTTON, OF FRANOISOOVILLE, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 129,312, dated July 16, 187:2.

To whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, HEINRICH BRGMANN, of Vaterloo, in the coun ty of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms; and I do declare that the following is a true and accurate description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon and being a part of this specitication, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of the stock and'barrel with the working parts removed. Fig. 2 is a similar view taken on the line .r in Fig. 7, showing the position of the parts after firing. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of the trigger-plate and its attachments. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the sliding breech-pin and the retractor. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the front end of the same. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the gun with the breech opened to receive a cartridge. Fig. 7 is a plan of the under side of the stock at the breech 5 and Fig. 8 is a cross-section at y y in Fig. 7.

Like letters refer to like parts in each figure.

The nature of this invention relates to an improvement in the 'construction of that class of firearms in which metallic cartridges are eX- ploded by a Iirin g pin or needle 5 the object of the invention being to secure simplicity and durability in design, safety against accident, and cheapness in construction 5 and it consists in the novel and peculiar construction of the various parts, for the purposes as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing, A represents the stock, and B the barrel of my gun, which is open at the rear end, with a portion of the upper half cut away behind the chamber B'. The rear eX- trernity of the barrel is chambered and closed by a plug, O, secured by a screw, a, or otherwisc. Through this plug plays a ring-pin, D, having an annular collar, b, near the front and tapering end thereof. The open chamber has alou gitudinal slot in its bottom extendingfrom the rear end to near the breech-chamber, with an oiset to the left. Directly below it there is a corresponding slot in the trigger-plate E. F is the breech-pin, cylindrical in form, to close the breech-chamber, and has forged with it a pendent arm, F', projecting through the slots in the barrel and the trigger-plate. Through the centerofthe breech-pin the n'ringpin passes, projecting far enough at the front end to strike the base of the cartridge and explode the fulminate. G is a spring spirally coiled around the firing-pin betweenthe shoulder of its collar and the plug O. H is a retractor, having a segment at its rear end which is received in a corresponding recess, but of greater length, in the under side ofthe breech-pin. The body of the retractor slides in a groove in the bottom of the open chamber eXtendin g into the breech-chain ber B. The hooked end of the retractor extends forward of the breech-pin to receive the iiange at the base of the cartridge, the empty shell of which is drawn out when the breechpin and its attachments are drawn back, and is discharged by giving the piece a quart-er turn in either direction. The recess in the under side of the breech-pin being longer than the retractor-segment, allows of a partial axial oscillation of the former. The open chamber is closed when the breech-pin is moved into the chamber of the barrel by a shield, I, semi-cylindric in form, fitting over the rear end of the barrel. Both edges of the shield are ianged inwardly and run in a longitudinal groove in each side of the open chamber and rea-r end of the barrel, and being secured to a segmental enlargement, el, of the top of the breech-pin by a thumb-bolt, J, the whole maybe moved easily back and forth with the thumb and forenger. The bolt J also secures to the shield a lockingplate, K, whose lower end projects below the plane of the shield at one side, so that the breech-pin cannot be rotated until closed into the breech-chamber, when the lower end of said locking-plate enters a recess, c, in the open side of the barrel. To permit the rotation of the breech-pin, however, in this position the shield is transversely slotted where the bolt J passes through it. In rotating the breech-pin its lever enters the offsets hereinbefore referred to. L is a lever pivoted at e to the trigger-plate, carryin g a lateral hook, f, at the front end and a vertical triangular tumbler-plate, g, at the rear end, said platebeing beveled on the edge against which the front end of the trigger-arm M plays, the said trigger being a bell-crank lever pivoted at its angle to the trigger-plate. A leaf-spring, N, on the triggerplate presses the rear end of the lever L across the plate, which may be forced back by pulling the trigger.

The piece having been red, the operator swings the arm of the breech-pin out of its offset and draws the breech-pin away from the chamber, at the same time extracting the shell ofthe cartridge and compressing the spring Gr until the collar b of the firing-pin presses aside and passes back of the upper part of the tumbler-plate g, when the spring N causes it to pass in front of the said collar, and thus hold back the said firing-pin. A fresh cartridge is now insertedinto the open chamber,'and the breech-pin is pushed forward into the counterbore of the breech-chamber A', forcing the cartridge into said chamber. In this position the gun cannot be fired, as the head f of the lever L abuts against the arm F of the breech-pin. The breech-pin must now be partially rotated on its axis, throwing the arm F into its offset, which resists the recoil of the explosion,keep ing the breech closed when the trigger is pulled, which causes its arm, acting on the inclined edge of the tumbler g, to more the leverl L laterally and withdraw the top of the said tumbler from the collar b, which allows the spring G to force the iiring-pin forward against the base of the cartridge and explode its fulmnate.

To prevent the accidental discharge of the loaded piece, I pivot, at h, to the trigger-plate a spring-latch plate, O, with a square notch in one side, which, when the latchis swung around and sprung into its catch near the guard, will embrace the shank of the arm F', which will then be out of its o'set, and consequently prevent the release of the firing-pin and the discharge of the piece.

It sometimes happens that the shell of the cartridge bursts in iirin g, which, in needle-guns of the Prussian class, allows the gas and llame to pass along the firing-pin and destroy the eyesight of the ,marksmam With my gun no such result can follow, as the shoulder and collar bwould detlect the flame and gas laterally and diffuse them into the chamber iuclosed by the shield, if a cartridge should explode.

Theworking parts of thepiece are all iuclosed their construction is such that they can readily be taken apart without using tools for the purpose, and as readily assembled.

The operation and movements in loading and firing being feW and simple in character, the piece can be fired with great rapidity.

' What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In connection with the collar b of the firin g-pin D, the lever L and tumbler-plate g, and its spring N or equivalent retaining devices, and the trigger M, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The spring-latch plate O, in connection with the trigger-plate E and breech-pin lever F', as and for the purpose set forth.

Vitnesses: HEINRICH BRUGMANN.

H. F. EBER'rs, H. S. SPRAGUE.

so as to be protected from the Weather, while 

